


Son of Kaden

by sinsajo



Category: Ratchet & Clank
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Drama, Family Secrets, Found Family, Gen, More tags to be added as story progresses, Other, more characters to be added as story progresses, no explicit romance only hinted
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-19
Updated: 2020-09-05
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:29:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23628469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sinsajo/pseuds/sinsajo
Summary: After the attack on Fastoon orchestrated by Tachyon, Alister finds himself alone, broken, and without a purpose in life.Stumbling over the remains of the dead city, he soon finds an orphaned child, and he is forced to make a choice: To turn a blind eye to his destiny, or adopt the child as his own, and raise it as he would his own blood.
Relationships: Alister Azimuth & Kaden, Alister Azimuth & Ratchet, Alister Azimuth/Kaden
Comments: 16
Kudos: 24





	1. Traitor

**Author's Note:**

> This fanfic is basically me trying to make Alister suffer as much as possible, honestly. Just wanted to get that out of the way.
> 
> This is meant to be a sort of retelling of Ratchet's upbringing.

**_The elders once said time is a living, breathing thing._ **

**_Powerful._ **

**_Beautiful._ **

**_And oftentimes, cruel._ **

**_It can humble the strongest army._ **

**_Shape mountains to its will,_ **

**_And turn entire oceans to dust._ **

# 🙠🙢

A sinister red glow painted the skies of the agonizing city.

Black columns of smoke rose from what once were tall, immaculate buildings - their black, shapeless forms dissolving into the night sky. Embers danced through the hot wind like crazed fireflies, swirling over the dry vegetation and lighting it ablaze, singeing the fur on the rows of corpses littering the city.

The polished stone that once made up the streets, always so clean and so orderly, now was nothing more than a pile of rubble through which a single Lombax limped through.

His long, white ears twitched at a far away scream and gunfire, and he felt his knees give in under the weight of his aching body - of his sins.

He collapsed on the ground with a whimper, hands helping him crawl over the debris and take shelter near what little was left of someone's home of a lifetime. 

Drawing his knees to his chest, he held on to them tightly and dug his fingers into the fur of his arms, forcing himself not to break. Tears of pain had left stark white trails down his face that stood out among the dirt clinging to his fur, and he refused to shed any more. Not even when a fresh memory replayed in his mind over and over without rest, tormenting him. As he closed his eyes, the visions and the voices were all too real.

“ _Alister Azimuth_ ,” an elder by the name of Nekhbet had spat out with disgust, and his voice had caused the crowd inside the Court to fall into a sudden, sepulchral silence. 

Nekhbet had approached the Lombax in question slowly, pushing past the guards standing in his way, his glare boring holes into the nervous man. 

“For you to think we would welcome you here, and allow you to join us… you are _delusional_ ,” the elder said with a sneer, and Alister glanced around to see somber faces surrounding him, their offended eyes pinned on him and him alone.

“Traitor!” a woman yelled behind him, and Alister realized he could hear his own pulse drumming in his ears.

“My brother is dead because of you!” a young man called out far ahead, and the crowd started to stir, their initial whispers escalating until their accusations were furious screams and any semblance of order and civility had been completely lost.

“Silence!” another elder interjected as she banged her Praetorian OmniWrench on the stone floor, her booming voice silencing the riot. “If you know what’s good for you, Azimuth,” she spoke with feigned calm, the crease at her brow and the sneer at her lips betraying her emotions. “You will see yourself out, before we force you. You are not welcome here,” she shook her head slowly, visible hurt and anger in her eyes. “Now, or ever.”

“Ishtar,” Alister whispered her name with a trembling voice, the pressure of all the eyes on him making it hard to draw a breath. But whatever he had to say, died on his tongue. He saw in her eyes that any attempt at dialogue would be met by deaf ears, and despite not being a man that knew how to accept defeat, he knew his place before them all. He didn't even deserve a chance to argue.

Lowering his head, he turned to leave, the crowd around him splitting in two to allow him to pass through, the bitter accusations whispered under their breaths not going unheard.

“Guards,” Ishtar called out, watching the councilman she had grown to blindly trust walk away with his tail between his legs. “Shoot him if he tries coming back inside the Court.”

Alister closed his eyes briefly at her words, and the moment he set foot on the dirty steps outside of the building bearing his very name, he realized his fate was worse than death. Exile - to be forbidden from joining the rest of his kind in their last minute escape, and to live with the burden of his sins for the rest of whatever remained of his life, alone.

Even now, with his back pressed against the dirty stone, and his body aching from the battle he endured for the sake of protecting those that hated him, he wished he had the bravery to turn himself over to the machines attacking the city, and ask for a swift death. He was the reason why things turned out the way they did, after all, and he doubted Tachyon would deny him this small favor.

He closed his eyes tightly, the stench left behind by the hungry fires that consumed it all lingering in his sensitive nose, the screams for help still ringing in his ears so very vividly, that he couldn’t tell if they were cruel echoes lingering in his aching mind, or if they were real. 

He felt uncomfortable with his own dried blood clinging to his fur, and with the broken ribs preventing him from taking a deeper breath, but he knew he deserved every second of his suffering. He wouldn’t have complained about it, even if there was someone left alive in the city to witness it.

From behind his closed lids he could still see the glow of the roaring fires, and could faintly hear the wind as it wailed gently, scurrying through the ruins all around him as they carried the scent of death.

Not too far away, he could hear the machines Tachyon had created with his aid searching through the rubble in hopes of finding a still living Lombax to take hostage, or murder. They couldn’t possibly know there were most likely none to be found asides from him, and aside from still warm corpses.

The Lombax took a deeper breath, feeling the sharp pain in his chest, and exhaled shakily, his teeth gritting. 

There was that wail in the wind again, and the mechanical legs of the machines whirring as they walked along, one stomp at a time. 

Alister frowned then, perking his ears, his eyes opening wide.

The wind wailed louder than before, and it dawned on him that it wasn’t the wind at all.

He helped himself to his feet with his wrench, faster than he had felt himself capable of, looking over his shoulder to make sure the machines were at a safe distance as he limped in the general direction he thought the sound might be coming from. He didn’t stop walking even when the strange sound ceased, and even when he noticed a bright search light fall over his figure from one of the sentinels behind him. He hurried his pace, knowing himself spotted and followed, and heard the sound in the wind again.

It was crying.

He let out a whine, every breath he struggled to take feeling like torture - fresh blood oozed and spluttered from the open wound in his leg as he walked, and walked, and refused to stop.

He finally reached what seemed to be the source of the cry for help, and found it was coming from a small bundle squirming on the ground, trapped under the arms of a dead female Lombax.

His wide eyes recognized her face instantly, despite the soot and blood clinging to her delicate features.

Alister stepped closer, snapping out of the brief shock he had fallen under, sensing the presence of the machines to be overwhelmingly close. 

Grabbing her limp arm as respectfully as he could, and pushing the nausea in his gut as far down as he could with the promise of wallowing in it once he was in a position to do so, he grabbed the bundle from her arms and began running immediately.

A gigantic metal claw missed his back by just a few inches, and he felt it land on the debris with impressive force, making the earth tremble. His feet kicked forwards as fast as he could handle, feeling the boiling pain in his leg, the stabbing ache in his ribs a he panted, and sensing his vision darkening. But he didn’t stop running, feeling the small weight in his arms struggle against the vice grip he had it under, and hearing the shrieks escaping from it ring in his ears painfully, keeping him in his senses.

He didn’t allow himself to stop even when he finally couldn’t hear anything tailing after him anymore, the only sound being his labored panting and the muffled screams coming from his arms.

He arrived at his home, or rather, what was left of it; the tall building, housing not only him but several other soldiers as well, was sprawled over the ground completely, melting into the building next to it in a mess of rocks and metal. But he paid it no mind. His real goal was the landing platform several meters back, where he found his ship. Asides from a few scratches that he hoped wouldn’t be fatal, it seemed to be in a good enough condition to at the very least make a run for the next planet over.

With no time to think, he crawled into the ship with difficulty, using his free hand to set parameters, and his other one to squeeze the creature against his chest, afraid of putting it down and having it roll over.

“Solstice,” Alister said, panting, “get us out of here. _Now_.”

A cough rattled his body, making him double over, his free hand clutching at his ribs and his teeth digging into his tongue.

“... Care to specify?” the ship's robotic voice asked, its usual personality dulled down by the previous fight it had endured. The ship had been awake long enough to know they were being attacked, and long enough to know they weren’t winning.

“Just go!” he barked the order, and the ship’s motor roared to life, lifting them off the ground in a moment, and soon they were flying over the remains of the metropolis he had sworn to protect so long ago. He knew a ship trying to escape would most likely attract attention, but he had to cross his fingers and hope they would go unnoticed, as there wasn’t much he could do to conceal their escape.

Murmuring a silent prayer, he finally paid mind to the bundle struggling in his arms, by first setting the ship on autopilot. He looked down to the child, moving the fabric aside to fully reveal its face. There had been no doubt in his heart as to who’s child this could be, but seeing his tiny face still made a weak, brief sob escape his lips. Not only because he could see so much of his parents in his features, but also because there was blood clinging to the kitten’s fur right over his forehead and down to his eyes, possibly betraying a horrendous injury. 

In panic, the older Lombax quickly reached into a compartment to pull out a bottle of water, and placing the crying kitten on his lap, he uncapped it and moistened his fingers to clean away the blood and reveal the wound.

After a while of grooming, and deciding on using the same blanket as a rag to help the task, he let out a relieved, shallow breath at the realization it was nothing more than his mother’s blood. Though the thought was enough to make his stomach churn, he was thankful that at the very least, the creature seemed to be in one piece. And quite healthy, if the way he screamed incessantly was anything to go by.

“Hey,” he tried petting the child, noticing the pitch in his cries somehow getting even higher. “Hey, shh…” he tried shushing him, lifting the baby enough to cradle it in his arms, hoping his warmth would somehow soothe it.

He looked out the window, seeing they had already left the burning city behind, and noticing they thankfully were not being tailed by anyone. They were already crossing the atmosphere, the ship rocking from side to side as it did, upsetting the tiny creature even further.

“Can you quiet that thing down? I can’t concentrate,” the ship finally spoke up, snarky voice back to normalcy.

“I’m trying,” Alister spat back, trying to shake the child in his arms just like he had seen mothers doing it, but missing the key point that it had to be _gentle_.

“It’s crying louder.”

“I know that!” the Lombax said exasperated, pulling the child away from his chest to look at him face to face.

His large green eyes were squinted as he yelled, and his tail, now free from the blanket that draped over the man's knees, jerked from side to side angrily.

“What is it?” he tried asking it with impatience, his brows furrowing as he let out a shaky breath. “You want… You want your mother, don’t you?” he whispered slowly, watching tears roll down the kitten's fat cheeks. 

He licked his own lips, tasting blood.

“You want Kaden to hold you,” he said, seeing his tiny nose run with snot. “I wish he was here too. But he isn't. And we’re gonna have to make this work for now, okay? Work with me.”

“You’re talking to a baby.”

Alister ignored the remark, noticing the kitten to start whining instead of screaming, his wide eyes fixed on the elder's as he watched him speak.

“You’re safe,” the man continued speaking to the kitten as gently as he could, his shaky tone betraying that this was a conscious effort, “I got you, you’re safe. Nothing’s going to hurt you. I won’t let anything hurt you, for as long as I’m alive.”

The child kept his mouth agape as he watched the older Lombax in sudden silence, fascinated by the unfamiliar face, and the new voice speaking to him. 

Alister smiled slightly, content with having calmed the child down, despite all odds.

Then, he slowly and gently wrapped the blanket around the child, careful to not upset him. He cradled him in his arms, with one hand petting his face gently, allowing his index to slowly caress from his forehead and down the bridge of his nose much in the way he remembered his own mother doing to him, hoping it would soothe him.

He did this for what seemed like minutes, ignoring the nagging pain pulsating and burning hot in his own body, his focus placed entirely on the small Lombax as he closed his green eyes and so very slowly drifted to sleep.

“I’m gonna pass out,” Alister whispered to the ship, eyes still fixed on the kitten as he retrieved his hand from his face, and buckled himself in to make sure the creature stayed in place against his chest. “Get us… get us as far away as you can. One or two galaxies over, if you’re able to.”

“I am afraid the damage I took won’t allow such a feat,” the ship informed him.

“Just… just…” Alister tried speaking, his eyelids closing on their own as his vision went completely black, and his body going limp as he fainted.


	2. Wounds

The sound of birds chirping was the first thing to fully reach his far away consciousness. Then came children’s joyous laughter, a woman’s murmurs, and the distinct smell of burning wood.

Alister tried opening his eyes, and when he did so, he saw darkness up above. As he woke up, so did his pain, and he felt it stab at his chest and burn at his leg, which caused a shiver to rake his body violently. He felt hot, overwhelmingly so, but he also felt feezing cold in the way only a high fever could feel like.

He lifted a limp hand to his throbbing head, feeling a wet rag placed over his forehead, and he yanked it aside as he tried sitting up, his teeth gritting as he groaned through the pain of moving.

He stood up, his legs failing him as the world spinned and blurred, the ground quickly meeting his body with a heavy thud. The sudden pain was such that he doubled over to vomit, but he instead found himself dryly heaving. The question of just how long ago had been the last time he ate anything seemed to float within his reach, but other more important matters needed to first be addressed.

As his mind cleared further and he realized himself inside what seemed to be a decently sized hut of some sort, he suddenly remembered Kaden’s child - and he felt instant, freezing panic.

While he scrambled to his feet again with renewed urgency, he ignored his body's pleas and protests as they came as best as he could, until he finally felt the straw curtain hanging from the only door with his own fingertips. Without a second of hesitation he pushed aside the straw clumsily, only to be momentarily blinded by the midday sun.

“Mom!” he heard an instant yell, though it wasn’t from fear.

“Oh, dear...” a woman let out, and Alister squinted with difficulty to see a Fongoid female sitting by an outdoor fire, staring back at him. Two Fongoid children stood beside her gawking back at him with childish amazement, their grins as wide as they could be. 

“You should be laying down. Doctor said you took one heck of a beating!” the woman said, trying a compassionate smile.

“Where is he?” Alister hissed as he stumbled closer to them, his wide eyes scanning the woman’s face and the now unsure children looking at him with sudden fright in their gazes.

“Calm down,” the woman advised him, sensing his instability.

“The child, where is he!?” he demanded with a yell, stepping closer with rage, but the woman just glared somberly as she removed the blanket covering her breasts to reveal the kitten latched onto one of them, suckling with his eyes closed in utter peace.

Alister blinked a few times, taken aback by the sight for more than one reason, and she chuckled at his loss of steam as she covered her chest and the kitten with the blanket yet again.

“He wouldn’t stop crying. Orvus only knows how long he had gone without proper food. He seems to be barely a year old, I managed to see some poking teeth, but I wasn’t sure… What I could feed him.”

“The kitty is stealing my sister’s milk,” one of the children let Alister know, to which the woman laughed softly.

“No he isn’t. She’s getting too big for milk, might as well share it,” the mother said.

“That’s… This is very kind of you,” Alister licked his lips, feeling his throat dry from dehydration. “Where are we?” he asked then, hearing his own harsh breathing in his ears.

“In our home; the village is not far from here,” the woman said, “we found your ship just outside of the forest on our way to the lake.”

“What planet?” he asked, feeling as if he was repeating the same question.

“Quantos.”

“... Too close,” the Lombax whispered.

“Excuse me?”

“Who else knows we are here?” he asked with a deep frown.

“Oh, well… The doctor that saw to your wounds, and my husband, who carried you back here.”

“I told Zuurin and Yuli,” a child interrupted, “they are my bestest of friends. I promised I’d let them see the big cat and the little kitty later on, but mom said it wasn’t a good idea-”

“Please, refrain from making our presence known,” Alister frowned deeply, briefly glaring at the child. “We’ll be leaving right now, but I’d appreciate you not telling anyone that you saw me.”

“... Are you a thief?” the woman asked confused, a distinct warning look in her eyes. “This child isn’t yours, is it?”

“Y-Yes,” he lifted a hand, motioning vaguely as he tried to speak, “no, I mean, I’m not a thief. But the child is mine,” he lied, fearing the Fongoid to become suspicious if he admitted it wasn’t his own blood.

“What’s his name?” she smiled faintly, and his eyes widened.

“None of your business,” he replied quickly, feeling a void in his stomach at the realization Kaden never told him his own child’s name. And he never had a chance to ask.

It was hurtful to remember how much they had drifted apart as soon as Tachyon arrived in their lives, to the point the other Lombax barely wanted to see him, possibly out of resentment. Alister never hid from him just how stubborn he could be, proving it without a doubt the second he placed his trust in a Cragmite.

There was the chance, however, that Kaden’s wife hadn’t yet named the child. He really wouldn’t know, and the thought that this might be the case pained him more than comforted him, because it would mean he had robbed his best friend’s son of the blessing of being named by his own two parents.

“Hello?” the woman waved at him, her face slightly worried. “I’m unsure if you’d be this rude if you weren’t in so much pain. I can see you fainting at any moment.”

Alister tried a deep breath, but regretted it the second he felt the needle-like pain stabbing at his side.

“Nari, get him some water, will you?” the mother said.

“Yes ma'am!” one of the Fongoid children said happily, her long skirt fluttering as her short legs ran inside the hut to fetch a cup, before she made the run over to the well.

The child made her way back to the tall Lombax with a glimmer of wonder in her eyes, her small face lifting up to meet his. The water from the barely tilted cup spilled out slightly and rolled down her lifted arm as she offered it to the stranger.

He received the cup and finished the water in just three gulps, his senses relishing in the pleasure of alleviating at least one of his discomforts.

“Thank you,” he returned the cup to the child, seeing her peek inside the empty cup before grinning up at him, showing off a missing tooth.

“Are you hungry?” the Fongoid woman asked, one of her arms keeping Kaden’s son close to her chest, while the other reached over to the pot boiling over the fire to stir it.

Alister took a moment to allow himself to untangle the mess of sensations dominating his being, moving past the loud, pulsating pain of his wounds, and finding the ache in his empty stomach, only worsened by the smell of whatever she was cooking.

“Yes,” he admitted, but his attention quickly shifted as he picked up the sound of dry leaves and twigs snapping under someone’s feet. His upper lip curled to reveal his teeth, but his sluggish mind didn’t allow him the time to think of either hiding, or getting into an attack stance. 

“It’s just my husband. Behave yourself,” the woman nagged him, her ears having picked up the faint growl he had let out.

“Oh!” a male, adult Fongoid let out a surprised gasp as he approached them, a wide smile spreading over his face. “Praise Orvus, you’re already awake!”

Alister pressed his own lips into a tight line, unsure of what the proper response would be. And so, he said nothing.

“You don’t really look too well, though. He shouldn’t be on his feet, right?” the husband asked, and the woman tried a shrug.

“If you want to force him to bed, be my guest,” she said.

“Oh!” the male Fongoid’s eyes squinted with a smile, his eyes meeting Alister’s again. “You’ve been giving my dear Kainee a hard time? Mehp!”

Licking his lips, Alister realized the potential danger he could be putting the small family through, just by having been taken care of by them. He could almost see it, much too vividly: One of Tachyon’s ships arriving to the planet, bringing fire and death, claiming the lives of the innocent people that saw him in need of help and lend him a hand without expecting anything in return. And Alister felt shame.

“I’m sorry, I don’t wish to be a burden on your family,” Alister lowered his ears slightly, and he tried limping towards the woman. “Give me the child, and I’ll be your problem no more,” he offered his hands to her, expecting the kitten.

Kainee, the female Fongoid, looked at his empty begging hands, then at his face.

“I don’t think you’re in condition to be making another journey. Not with this child. I doubt you’d even make it to where you crashed your spaceship,” she said sternly.

“We’ll be fine,” he tried assuring her, knowing it was unlikely, but desperately not wishing to have any more blood on his hands.

“You are absolutely out of your mind, I won’t let you take this baby. Not with how you are right now,” she said, clutching the child tighter against her.

“Give him back,” Alister’s brows dipped down, his patience quickly thinned.

“Honey, if you don’t do something-”

The Lombax quickly stepped towards the woman to grab the child by force, hearing the mother and her children yelp with surprise, and feeling the end of the husband’s staff connect with the bandaged wound on his leg with such agonizing pain, he instantly fell to the ground.

“Alright, big guy, in you go,” the merry voice of the male Fongoid barely matched the violence he had shown him, or his upset features. He grabbed one of Alister's arms to drag him back into the hut, watching him dig his nails into the soil. “Momma says no, it’s no. You get back to proper health, and you’ll get your kitty back, and you can go wherever you wanna go so bad.”

“You don’t- You don’t understand!” Alister tried breathing in, his body shivering from overstimulation of his pain receptors, and the still growing fever. “I don’t know how detached from civilization you people are, but having a Lombax in your home is a really fucking stupid idea! You - Your wife, your children, the entire village - if Tachyon somehow finds out you’re helping a Lombax, he will murder-”

“ _Enough_!” the husband shut him down, his nostrils flaring as he breathed, and as if on cue, the infant Lombax began to cry.

And it wasn’t until Alister looked over to him, and saw the Fongoid mother move the blanket aside to look at his face and stroke the tiny bridge of his nose soothingly, whispering sweet nothings in her mother tongue, that Alister realized he was also on the verge of tears.

“Enough,” the Fongoid father repeated, shaking his head, his expression much more gentle than a moment before. “That’s not a very kid friendly conversation to be having. Your kitty seems to agree. Let’s get you to bed, okay? We can talk about this later.”

With that, the father helped the Lombax to his feet slowly, hearing his laboured breathing, seeing his pained expression, and feeling his burning hot fur against his skin as he shouldered his weight for the sake of making it back into the hut.

The female Fongoid lifted her eyes from the upset child in her arms to see both men retreat into the hut, and felt the weight hanging on her back begin to move.

“Someone’s awake,” she said with a nervous chuckle, eyeing her quiet, uneasy children. “Alright, it’s your turn to eat,” she set down the kitten on the makeshift crib she had set up by her side, and carefully undid the knots of the carrier in which she held her youngest child. “Pet him for a little bit while I feed your sister, will you? But be gentle. Like with your baby sister,” she said to her other children, seeing their previous uncomfortable expressions change to ones of excitement, overjoyed with the chance to entertain the fluffy creature in the crib.

Inside the hut, Alister was placed back down on the old bed, and felt his head both throb with pain and spin with nausea. He saw the Fongoid father light a few lanterns hanging from a pilar near the center of the hut, and Alister was able to see a few more beds placed against the corners of the home, a hole in the ground near the pole that was sure to be some sort of indoor kitchen, and several objects both hanging from the ceiling and placed neatly on top of wooden shelves peppered all throughout the home.

“You’re brewing one heck of a strong fever, allow me to try to cool it down- Mehp!” the Fongoid said, searching with his eyes for the previously discarded rag that had rested on the Lombax’s forehead. He dipped the rag in a bowl with cold water, squeezed out the excess, and folded it neatly over the other’s forehead. “I’ve heard stories of your people recovering from wounds like these at unbelievable speeds. That none of you felt any pain, not like us, and that's why you made such great warriors - but I’m starting to believe that’s all those were. Stories. Based on what I had heard, the wound on your leg should have been healed by now.”

Alister didn’t reply asides from a small grunt, just to let him know he was listening.

The Fongoid brought a careful hand to the Lombax’s leg and gently pulled aside the bloodstained bandage, seeing the odd colors in the open, raw flesh; black meeting yellow and melting together in an unpleasant mix.

“I’m sorry about hitting you. This looks like it hurts,” he said, and the Lombax’s leg jerked on its own when the Fongoid let go of the bandage and it met his sensitive skin. 

“How long have I been here?” Alister asked instead, uncomfortable by the loss of his notion of time.

“We found you on your spaceship early this morning,” the Fongoid said, “we were in the forest when we heard something that sounded like crying. Your little kid can sure cry! It’s good we made it to you both before the beasts got to you. With you unconscious and the child making a ruckus…” he trailed off, realizing that maybe it wasn’t a good idea to give him such a gruesome mental image, not with the way he was looking at him. 

“Anyway, you should try to sleep. The doctor gave you something for the fever when he came by earlier, and he said he’d be back before sunset to take another look at your leg,” the Fongoid smiled faintly to Alister, beginning to walk towards the only door. “We’ll bring you some food later, I’m sure you’re starving- Mehp!” he gave him one last look before disappearing through the door, and Alister’s eyes fixed on the ceiling above him, the small strings of light filtering through the wood becoming a blur as his eyes filled with silent, frustrated tears.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys like it so far! :) Do let me know if you have any constructive criticism, or just simply have any thoughts on the story so far! I will try to update at least once a week.  
> No beta so I'm sorry for any grammar errors, or mistakes of any kind.


	3. Healing

Days went by and merged together in what seemed like a confusing dream, his conscience switching between half-lucidness and complete blackout.

The Fongoid mother took on the task of cleaning the wound on Alister’s leg every few hours, and changing the wet rag that attempted to lower his implacable fever throughout day. During the night, it was the father who took care of him with such equal diligence, that the Lombax would have felt shame if only he had been more in his senses.

Still, despite all odds, he was making a recovery. The nasty open wound on his leg - caused by what the Fongoids had guessed to be some sort of heat based weapon - was now pink in color, and no longer bled or sprouted puss. He was still fighting the infection from the inside, aided by the powerful medicine the doctor had left for the Fongoids to make him swallow at least twice a day, and thus he was still weak. Weak, but regaining strength day by day, slowly. Frustratingly slow, much to Alister’s dismay.

Stirring awake by the smell of freshly made food and the hollow ache in his own empty stomach, the white Lombax opened his eyes and was greeted by the sight of the female Fongoid’s face.

“Morning,” Kainee smiled lightly, a bowl of steaming hot food in her hands.

“... Good morning,” Alister replied, feeling his throat dry as he tried sitting up, and a headache pulsing in his temples. He reached over to take a drink of water from the cup set beside him on the ground, and after he was satisfied, he wiped away the liquid dripping down his chin with the palm of his hand. Then, he received the plate of food from the woman, grateful to not need any aid in the task of feeding himself, for the sake of his pride.

“I think we’ll try a bath today,” she let him know, and he eyed her with brief confusion.

“Ah. I hope he doesn’t make too much of a fuss.” 

“I meant for you. Not the kitty,” she chuckled, “you smell like a wild beast.”

“...Oh,” he frowned slightly, too embarrassed to try a sniff. He heard her laugh again, which only increased his shame.

“I’ll prepare the tub later on. Don’t worry, it’ll be warm,” she tried reassuring him, apparently believing that his facial expression was a serious one solely because he feared a cold bath.

“How’s the little one?” Alister said before trying a spoonful of the stew, grateful for the meat he could taste in the rich soup.

“He’s getting plump,” she joked, sitting cross legged beside his bed to give him some well needed company. “I tried feeding him some food today, and he didn’t fight it as I expected. Seems to me someone had already given him food before,” she observed, and Alister simply nodded. “You should really give him a name before I go ahead and do it for you. It’s hard not knowing what to call him.”

“... I’ll think about it,” he mumbled, chewing on his food.

“He’s not your child, is he?” Kainee asked then, already knowing the reply. “Who’s child is it?”

Alister swallowed, feeling a knot in his throat. He waited for it to dissipate, and realized he owed the people that had been caring for him at least a bit of truthfulness.

“He’s my best friend’s only son.”

“Where is this man now?” she said, fleetingly worried the parent might be missing his kid.

“Dead. His mother too,” he said, taking a new spoonful of the stew.

“I’m… so sorry,” she whispered, her eyes instantly going to the kitten laying dormant on the crib beside her, dressed in the same baby clothes her own daughter wore. The woman had started putting the kitten next to the man’s bed to have Alister know he was safe, and close by.

“I’m sure news of the attack on Fastoon reached this far, despite your people’s lack of contact with other planets,” Alister said, his voice even, and his eyes casted down.

“I’m afraid the gossip isn’t that well informed, but news travel quite fast... We do engage in some trading and selling with the occasional ship that comes around, after all. People seem to really love our fruit. We have good soil.”

The Lombax nodded slowly, eating quietly as he considered her words. If one of the inhabitants leaked information that a living Lombax was hiding in the outskirts of their village, he was sure Tachyon’s wrath wouldn't discriminate between men, women, or children.

“No one will know you’re here,” the woman seemed to sense his anxiety, “if anything happens, we’ll give you both time to escape. We might not be the best when it comes to a fight, but we can at least hold your enemies back.”

“If it comes to that, I’ll turn myself in. But I’ll ask of you to please take care of the child.”

“I won’t allow it,” she shook her head sternly, a deep frown decorating her face, “the Lombaxes saved us all from the cruel rule of the Cragmites so long ago. But the Fongoids haven’t yet forgotten, and we’ll be more than happy to repay that debt in any way we can.”

“I doubt everyone thinks the same as you, and would be willing to risk their lives for a stranger," he said in a nagging tone, seeing her avert her eyes. "I advise you to think of your _own_ children first."

“... You’re right,” she said with a sigh, not wanting to think of such conflicting what-ifs for any longer, for both her sake and Alister’s. So she changed the subject instead. “Maybe you can name him Furball,” she proposed, her eyes on the small child yet again.

“Absolutely not,” he said, but he chuckled despite himself.

“His cheeks have gotten so fat. Maybe Squirrel would be appropriate.”

“You're only poking fun at him because he can’t defend himself,” he shook his head, a smile on his lips. “Try him a few years from now, after I’m done training him. He’ll make one hell of a good warrior, just like his father. The best anyone has ever seen.”

Kainee looked at him with eyes that seemed to look deeper into him than he would have wanted to, and he stopped smiling when he caught her soft smile.

“What?” he asked her, lifting a brow as he took another spoonful of his food.

“Nothing,” she laughed, shaking her head and evading his eyes. “I just think maybe you’ll make a good father to the creature. Or an interesting one, at least.”

It dawned on Alister that that was exactly what he was signing up for: Fatherhood. And her words made him realize that he wasn’t even sure he was prepared to take on such a serious responsibility, or would even do a good job at it.

“I just hope he doesn’t turn out like me,” he said, focusing his attention back on his plate, leaving the implications of his words for the Fongoid to figure out on her own.

  
  
  


✦

  
  


The forest was thicker than he had anticipated. 

Using his wrench to help himself walk through the uneven ground, Alister cut through the overgrown foliage as he followed the path the Fongoids had instructed him to follow, and soon he found a clearing right by a small lake.

The broken spine of a large tree seemed to shelter the abandoned ship beneath its dying branches, and Alister stepped closer to run a hand over the hull of the ship to dust it off. He stepped around to peek inside the open vessel, seeing the dirty seats covered in leaves, dust and scratches from curious animals. 

He reached a hand over to bring the ship to life, and after seeing the screens and buttons begin to shine and the computer come online, he let out a breath of relief.

“Lombax,” the computer called out, and Alister smiled widely.

“Solstice, give me a ship integrity report.”

“Hello to you too, you ingrate,” the ship replied with annoyance, “leaving me abandoned to the elements like this. I think something took a massive shit on one of my seats.”

“Integrity report,” he repeated in a flat tone.

“hull integrity at 15%. We lost the landing pads in the forceful landing. Right thruster is heavily compromised. Gelatonium levels at 30%.”

“Not quite as bad as I thought,” Alister sighed, patting the ship’s surface almost affectionately. “You hold on tight, I’ll come back to make repairs.”

“What, no-” Alister turned off the computer forcefully, to then press a button to close the ship and prevent it from being soiled any further. After all, the Fongoids did expect some rain.

By the time he made it back to the hut again, he heard some commotion inside that briefly made his stomach drop with fear.

Limping closer to the door as fast as he could, he gripped his wrench as tight as his hands would allow, fully prepared to use it as a weapon. He peeked inside, and was finally able to see what the fuss was all about.

The small family - except for the father - was gathered in a circle near the center of the hut, on the floor, watching the infant Lombax as he loudly babbled on.

“... What’s going on?” Alister asked confused, seeing the Fongoid mother beam up at him instantly.

“Come here! Sit, sit!” she patted the spot next to her, and he gave her a look before slowly doing as asked, keeping his eyes on the tiny kitten as they made eye contact. The little one seemed eager to shove a hand inside his own small mouth. “He’s been trying to walk for the past ten or so minutes. Good timing!”

“Is he supposed to be able to walk already?” Alister asked, unsure.

“I doubt it. But he sure is trying,” she chuckled, her smile widening as the kitten placed both hands on the ground, and with a face, attempted to get his own weight off the floor.

As he watched the small Lombax struggle to his feet, his frail body wobbling in place and an excited laugh bursting out of his gleeful face, Alister's chest clenched painfully while a single thought echoed in his mind.

**_‘Kaden isn’t here to see your first steps.’_ **

The kitten tried an unsure step, and Alister’s hands were quick to reach out and catch him before he fell. The fast movement made his broken ribs protest angrily, and he grunted out a low curse as he held the baby by the armpits. But any pain he felt quickly seemed to mellow down at the sound of the small Lombax’s excited laugh.

“Let him try again, he’s not that far from the ground. I’m right here, let him go,” Kainee placed a hand on Alister’s shoulder, gently urging him to let go of the kitten. Alister did as asked, trying to make him stand on his own before removing his hands, and watched as the infant bobbed up and down in place for a few seconds before attempting another step, and succeeding. 

“He’s walking, he’s walking!” the little Fongoid girl celebrated the milestone as she got to her feet and began to jump around, her brother following her example and jumping along with her, screaming loud.

“Quiet down, you’ll scare the babies,” Kainee shook her head with a smile, taking a moment to look at Alister to see his eyes wide, his mouth agape, and his hands frozen in place in front of him, nearly reaching out.

“Come here,” Alister whispered, his voice nervous as he spoke. “Come to uncle Alister.”

The woman laughed at his choice of words, seeing the kitten look at him as if he understood, and seeing him attempt another wobbly step, then another, and another, and slowly arrive to Alister’s patient arms.

“Yay!” the woman cheered and clapped lightly, proud of the child she had been nursing and caring for so lovingly, and Alister let out a loud, excited laugh.

“You did it! Look at you, walking already! You’re as skilled as they come!” he lifted the child in the air much to his own body’s dismay, and through a pained laugh, he held the child close to his chest in a warm hug. “You’re getting heavy.”

“Told you he’s getting plump.”

“Fat kitty! Fat kitty!” the children began to chant excitedly as they jumped up and down through the hut, not even stopping when their father made an appearance through the door.

“What’s all this about?” the Fongoid father laughed confused, taking in the scene.

“Fat kitty is walking now!” one of his children informed him, and he let out a chuckle.

“Which one now?”

“Very funny, honey,” his wife rolled her eyes with a laugh of her own, and Alister briefly wondered if he was also getting plump around the edges thanks to the sedentary lifestyle he led in his recovery, and thanks to the abundant food he was given.

The sound of the Fongoids’ own infant daughter craving attention was heard, and the mother let her down from the carrier on her back, to the ground in front of her

“Looks like she wants to give it a shot,” the woman said, seeing her child sit on the ground and look up at her with a puzzled, toothless smile.

“Did you find your ship?” the husband spoke, and Alister tore his attention from the small Lombax in his arms.

“Yes, I did. It’s in need of a few repairs, but it’s nothing I can’t do.”

“I’m glad- Mehp!” the father said as he nodded slightly, seeing the Lombax leave the child back down next to the other infant.

“How long will it take you to repair it?” the Fongoid mother asked, a clear sad tone in her voice as she watched the two babies babble to one another, as if they could actually understand each other.

“A month. Maybe two, if I don’t find the parts necessary to fix it right away. And judging by your people’s avoidance to technology…”

“That’s around the time needed to fully heal your body as well,” the Fongoid father observed, seeing Alister nod with a tight lipped smile. “We’ll be happy to give you shelter for as long as you deem it necessary, Alister.”

“Thank you. I promise I’ll repay you, however I can.”

A shriek called the attention of everyone in the room, and their eyes instantly fell on the angry, small Lombax smacking his tail on the ground as he complained, his head forcefully tilted to the side as the other baby yanked on his ear.

“Oh, careful darling, he’s not a toy,” the mother picked up her daughter, and the baby began crying almost instantly, her grubby hands opening and closing in the air, wanting to continue pulling at his fluffy ears. Then, the infant Lombax also began to cry, copying the other child.

“Shh,” Alister chuckled lightly as he silenced him, picking him off the ground with some trouble to hold him in his arms once again. The infant Lombax grabbed onto his loose fitted shirt, and with his snout, began to insistently dig around both his shirt and his white fur in search for a nipple.

“O-Oh,” the mother let out a laugh at the sight, hearing the kitten huff out in frustration as he searched, snout digging around aimlessly all over his broad chest.

“Um, I think he wants you,” Alister cleared his throat, pulling the child away from his chest, seeing his tiny hands gripping and pulling at his shirt before giving in and letting go with a long whine, and an angry babble.

The Fongoid mother let her baby down on the ground again, motioning with a hand for her other daughter to get closer and entertain the infant while she was busy. Then, she took the kitten from Alister’s hands, amused at his embarrassed expression.

“You don’t suppose there’s an old garage here somewhere that I could go through to find spare parts for my ship, do you?” Alister focused his attention on the male Fongoid, seeing him shake his head no.

“I’m afraid not, this place was as devoid of technology as you see it now when we first arrived, as a species,” he said, seeing Alister purse his lips. “But, there’s the spaceship graveyard just beyond the great waterfall, deep into the forest. You’re not the first outsider to crash in this area, and not many have been as lucky as you were. We never know what to do with those ships, and we don’t allow technology near us, so they’re just rotting there. It must not be incredibly recent technology, but it’s something!”

“I can work with that,” Alister smiled wide, a glimmer of hope shining in his eyes.


	4. The Time Keeper

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wounds of the flesh scab and flake off before you even realize it, but wounds to the heart never do seem to heal.

Scavenging the Fongoid’s ship graveyard for useful parts gave Alister a little too much time to think for his own liking. Despite him trying to fully focus on his task, his mind still ran away from him to think of the cruel, recent past, and the unsure future.

As he dug among the rusted carcasses for anything remotely useful, his thoughts constantly went back to Kaden: To his bright smile, his bad jokes, his kind soul. To the last thing he said to him.

In the midst of the chaos, Kaden didn't even have the chance to confront his friend for what he had done. Alister didn’t get yelled at, didn’t get punched, didn’t get to really have a moment with him to ask for his forgiveness. And deep down, Alister knew he would not have deserved it, not now, not ever. But the fact that he was no longer alive, and that Alister would never have a chance to regain his trust and ask for his forgiveness, made the white Lombax unable to breathe for the seconds it took him to desperately force himself to think about anything else.

But a masochistic side of him, a side that had him convinced he deserved each and every one of the painful thoughts that plagued his mind, forced him to relive the last time he saw his friend until the memory no longer hurt enough to be considered punishment.

And as he tore apart the hull of one of the rusted ships, he allowed his memories of that day to flood back in, clouding his eyes.

Kaden had stood at the steps of the Court of Azimuth, fur stained with blood and wide eyes searching for something - for someone.

An explosion nearby had lit the scene with a fiery glow, and Kaden finally saw Alister, who had been hiding in the shadows while he regained his composure.

“Alister!” he had yelled, his face overflowing with worry. “Have you seen my wife? I... I can't find her. I told her to meet me here-”

“You need to go inside," Alister interrupted him, rising to his feet. “She must be with the others.”

“No,” he shook his head, voice frustrated, “No, she hasn’t gone inside the Court. And she wouldn’t have crossed the portal without telling me first, either. Something’s very _wrong_ , I can feel it.”

“Kaden...”

“I’m gonna go look for her,” he told him hurriedly, starting to run away instantly.

“Kaden!” Alister called after him, a hand reaching out desperately as if to stop him. He saw the golden Lombax stop briefly to look back. 

Many things had crossed Alister’s mind, so many words that would be left unsaid. He wanted to apologize, beg for his forgiveness - the _only_ absolution that actually meant a damn. He wanted to ask him if they’d ever see each other again, if not in this life, then in the next. He wanted to tell Kaden how much he meant to him, despite having drifted apart with time, their bond never weakening for even a second.

But he had said nothing, and Kaden had already started running again, wrench tightly held in his hands as he headed towards his fallen home, towards the wife he never did find.

Alister blinked away the visions of that night, as if he feared getting lost in the fantasy long enough to not be able to find his way back. He took a look at his oil stained hands, and glanced around to ground himself back in the present, his breaths coming in heavy and quick.

He sat on a nearby rock, feeling too exhausted to continue searching for scraps. He just wanted to sleep. Sleep and forget.

A sob rattled his body, and before more than two tears fell onto the soil, he lifted an arm to angrily wipe them away from his eyes.

“Stop it,” he nagged himself, his throat tight and painful. “Stop it…” but he had not the energy to force himself. He sat there, letting tears flow from his eyes freely, with his gaze fixed on his dirty hands. Beneath the distorting curtain of tears, the oil looked just like blood. 

He had no idea for how long he cried, but by the time he noticed someone approaching, his eyes were burning and a migraine was brewing in his head.

“Thought you’d be hungry. You didn’t come back for lunch,” said Kainee, the Fongoid mother. She was holding a basket in her hands, and her expression softened when she noticed his pitiful state. “Oh… I’m sorry if it’s… a bad time.”

“It’s fine,” he muttered as he wiped at his face with his palms, forgetting about the oil in his embarrassment.

“You should eat. Food helps the mood,” she walked towards him until she was close enough to sit by his side, sharing the same rock. She placed the basket on the ground then, eyeing the other with an amused expression.

“Thanks,” he told her, reaching out towards the basket before noticing his own hands again, and realizing he had touched his face with them. He looked at the woman, and found her grinning as she tried not to laugh. “I have oil on my face, don’t I?” he asked with a flat tone, and she finally let out a laugh.

“Yes. Here, let me help you,” she dipped a hand under her shirt through the collar to fish out what he presumed to be a ratty handkerchief, to then bring it to the area around his eyes to clean it gently.

“You didn’t have to come all the way out here. It could be dangerous,” he said.

“I’ve lived here my entire life. I know this forest like I know my children’s faces. I could make the walk back with my eyes closed,” she shrugged, lifting her other hand to gently hold Alister’s face in place. “You, in turn, are an outsider. I sometimes worry the beasts will get you when you come here by yourself.”

Alister chuckled at this, his swollen eyes meeting hers and finally realizing she was very close.

“I can take care of myself,” he assured her, and she hummed lightly at this, as if she barely believed it. He kept his eyes on her, silently admiring the pale, intricate tattoos on her violet skin.

“It’s not quite coming off as easily as I expected,” she mumbled, dragging the cloth a little heavier on his fur, until she had gotten rid of most of the oil.

Once she seemed satisfied, she grabbed one of Alister’s hands to clean it, and then the other, while the man wondered how someone could be so kind and selfless, without expecting anything in return.

“What are you thinking about?” Kainee said almost in a whisper after a silent moment, finishing off cleaning the Lombax’s left hand.

“Why?”

“You’re quiet.”

Alister took another look at her, and could have sworn he recognized the warmth in her eyes to be affection. She was looking at him the same way Kaden once looked at him, during what could only be described as the best years of their friendship.

“It’s nothing,” he shook his head, waiting for the Fongoid to retrieve her hands before reaching out for the basket, and opening it up to see what was inside.

“You don’t have to bottle everything up, you know? I can listen. If you want,” she let him know, watching him as he picked the humble sandwich from inside to soothe the hunger he suddenly realized was afflicting him.

“I wouldn’t want to burden you any further. You and your husband have done enough. Far more than I think I’ll be able to repay.”

“Maybe start considering me a friend, and you won’t feel like a burden anymore,” she shrugged, clasping her hands on her lap after putting away the handkerchief. “I really don’t think you’re a burden. Neither does my husband, I’m pretty sure.”

“Pretty sure?” he laughed, going to take a bite from his food. 

“Fairly certain anyway,” she giggled, looking at him. “I know it makes him a little uneasy to have another man in the house. One that isn’t family, that could potentially sweep his wife off her feet.”

Alister covered his mouth to catch a cough, the food he had tried swallowing stopping midway in his throat from surprise. 

“Oh dear,” Kainee giggled, patting the other’s back as he continued coughing, watching him hit his own chest with a fist to help the food down.

“That’s-” he coughed again before swallowing thickly, forcing the spit and remains of food down his throat. “That’s ridiculous. He can’t seriously be afraid of that.”

“Who knows?” she smiled again, retrieving her hand from his back. “Anyone would get a little insecure having a man like yourself just hanging around.”

“Looks aren’t everything,” he rolled his eyes, feeling ready to try a new bite of his hazardous meal.

“I didn’t say anything about looks,” she replied with a small frown, pausing briefly to think before delivering her next statement. “You’re a good person.”

Alister chewed silently, deliberately keeping his eyes away from her face, his expression becoming serious. 

The woman seemed to notice the change in his mood, but said nothing.

“You’d be surprised at just how wrong you are,” he muttered, having swallowed the food in his mouth and no longer feeling hungry. He returned the sandwich to the basket, thankful to not receive a nag for it.

“You took a child that isn’t even yours under your care. I’m inclined to think you have a gentle heart. Women like that.”

“What if I told you I’m responsible for the death of the creature’s parents?” he asked, finally meeting her eyes and seeing the surprise widen her gaze.

“You… You couldn’t have possibly-”

“Killed them?” he said flatly as he rose his brows, seeing fear begin to pool in her large eyes.

She was in silence as she stared at Alister, trying to read the truth in his red eyes. But she was unable to, as it seemed he was deliberately trying to come off as a threat with how dark his gaze was.

“... So, did you?” she asked slowly, her curiosity overcoming her fear.

He tore his eyes away from her, letting out a sigh.

“No. I didn’t actually kill them, Kainee,” he let her know, hearing her breathe out with relief. “But I still have their blood on my hands. If it weren’t for my mistakes, the child would still have both of his parents, thousands of Lombaxes would still be alive, and the remaining Lombaxes would still be here. It was _all_ my fault.”

The Fongoid kept her eyes on him, trying and failing to find a lie on his face. 

Alister leaned over himself slightly, lifting a hand to his face to allow it to cover it, feeling his previous distress invade him yet again. His headache seemed to come back as well, stronger, and he felt frustrated with the new stinging in his eyes.

His body jerked slightly, prey to a choked sob he refused to let out that was soothed slightly by the gentle hand placed on his back. She rubbed soft, large circles, watching him as he massaged his own eyes with his fingers, and as he nibbled on his own lip anxiously.

She said nothing as he fought to regain his composure and conserve some of his dignity, his negative thoughts clouding his mind and forbidding him from seeing a silver lining, if there even was one.

“I would give _anything_ to go back in time and fix it all. If only I had the chance, everything would go back to the way it was before, and no one would have to pay for my stupidity,” the Lombax said.

Kainee nodded slowly, uncertain if there was anything at all she could say that could ever lessen his burden. Despite this, she still tried, overwhelmed with the desire to help him.

“I can’t imagine the pain you must be going through,” she whispered, bringing her hands back to herself before thinking better of it and searching for Alister's free hand to hold it tight. “I very much wish there was something I could do.” 

She watched him as he rubbed his own eyes with his fingers repeatedly, more so as if to give his body something else to process - sensations other than his own feelings. But then, he stopped.

Lowering his hand from his own face, Alister opened his eyes and furrowed his brows, a memory of Kaden flooding back into his mind, this time from years ago. 

As elder councilman for the Center for Advanced Lombax Research, Alister was up until quite recently, very involved in all of their scientific endeavours. Predictably enough, one of the projects that interested him the most was the one that Kaden himself was leading, being the bright scientist that he was. He never had the chance to have a fully fleshed out conversation with him about the research's conclusions, but he still had fresh in his mind the day Kaden had come to him, clutching what seemed to be dozens of pages of scribbles and schematics, his eyes wide with excitement. 

“What’s with you?” Alister had asked, both amused and thankful to be graced by his friend’s rare company.

“The _Keeper of Time_ is a machine! It has to be!” Kaden had said with a laugh, placing the papers on the large, elongated table they were standing by, where the elders usually held their reunions. “It never was just an individual, like a cosmic God that punished the Fongoids aeons ago for their overuse of technology - if the folklore is to be taken into account. It has to be colossal in size, larger than a city for sure, and… the technology, Alister! It has to be light years away from what we can currently produce!” he almost tripped over his words, his eyes becoming briefly lost somewhere else as he tried to visualize it.

“Lightyears away from _us_? I’m afraid I can’t even begin to imagine a species advanced enough to pull off something like that, my friend. And that includes those pesky Terachnoids,” Alister laughed at his enthusiasm, seeing the other roll his eyes at his racial hubris before pointing at his scribbles as if by themselves they made any sense at all. 

“You do remember the Zoni, right?” Kaden scoffed as if it were obvious. And in a sense, it truly was. “There’s still so much we don’t understand about the elusive little sons of bitches, and we're hardly the only ones. It’s no secret that most advanced races have been trying to get their hands on Zoni technology for years now, I'm sure you've been briefed on that. The lust these civilizations seem to have over our _own_ technology absolutely pales in comparison. We’re no match for them.”

“Is this another attempt to gather funds to steal Zoni technology and reverse engineer their artifacts?”

“Yes! I mean, no-” Kaden shook his head with a deep, faked frown and cleared his throat. “No, of course not. I’m just being a good pal and letting you know about the most groundbreaking discovery made this century, coming straight out of the genius’ mouth! That's me of course, if it wasn't clear,” he winked at Alister, earning himself a goodhearted chuckle from the white Lombax.

“And what do you suppose this theoretical machine does, exactly?” Alister decided to play his game, his smiling eyes fixed on Kaden as the golden Lombax crossed his arms, readying a smug grin.

“It controls time.”

Alister had seen his clear eyes then; had seen them burn with his unapologetic lust for adventure, a force as fierce and unstoppable as the Lombax’s very soul. And it was intoxicatingly beautiful.

“If we get our hands on this device, Alister…” he had trailed off, licking his dry lips as he glanced out the windows overlooking the imposing city, his thoughts nearly racing. “There’s no saying how much power the Lombaxes will have,” he saw the white Lombax quirk a brow at that, and so he lifted his hands in mock innocence, “exercising the utmost caution and restraint, of course.” 

They both shared a laugh at that, and Kaden bit his bottom lip with excitement just as he made eye contact with the other Lombax. There was a childish mischief present in his green eyes, a look only reserved for accomplices - as if they were children all over again, plotting new ways to misbehave and somehow satiate their shared need for adventure. 

“Tell me if this isn’t the coolest shit you’ve heard today,” Kaden had said, laughing.

Alister had smiled widely, knowing he had no choice but to agree.

“Are you alright?” Alister blinked, suddenly finding himself back in the present, still sitting on an uncomfortable rock, his head hurting, his eyes itching and a lovely woman sitting next to him, speaking.

“The time machine,” he let out through a whisper, seeing Kainee frown in confusion. “I’m such a fool. Speaking about wishing to travel back in time, when it can actually be done,” he let out a laugh, raspy and unpleasant, as if his own throat rejected it for how out of place it felt.

“What are you...?” Kainee drifted off, her eyes becoming increasingly concerned.

“I’m talking about the Keeper of Time, the Zoni machine,” he said, his hands moving slowly about as he spoke, as if he wasn’t sure how to speak his mind clearly. “You should know what I’m talking about, you’re a Fongoid.”

“Well… Yes, of course I do, but that's not something an outsider should even know," she said, briefly considering keeping any further information to herself. "The elders used to tell us stories about the Time Keeper to make sure not a single Fongoid forgot why we live like this. It all ties back to Orvus and the Zoni... But I don’t understand how this is suddenly relevant, “ she shrugged unsure.

“Do you have… How do I ask this,” he used his hands to push back his ears, his brows furrowed and his heart suddenly racing. “Are these stories only passed down orally, or is there somewhere I could investigate this? I need as much information as possible.”

“I- I mean, I'm sure the chief knows more about our stories than anyone in the entire village, but I doubt he'd be willing to talk to an outsider about such a thing. Why the sudden interest in our culture anyway?” she let out a nervous laugh without meaning to, still puzzled.

“The child's father told me about this once. A machine capable of controlling time itself… Imagine the catastrophes it would be able to fix in the blink of an eye! All the pain and suffering, all the wrongdoings done to the Lombaxes could be erased if this thing was in the right hands,” he laughed, his eyes wide with sudden blind hope. “I need to investigate. I can’t believe I nearly forgot about it, when it’s the only way I can get us out of this mess. What an idiot...”

“I’m confused, I don’t think you’re speaking about the same thing I’m thinking,” Kainee shook her head, noticing Alister avert his eyes in favor of staring into space as his teeth worked over his bottom lip. “The stories I heard spoke about our foolish overuse of time travel, and about how Orvus used the Time Keeper to fix the damage we caused. I never heard of the Keeper being used for time travel in itself… Besides, even if it was somehow still possible to travel to both the past and the future with the help of the Keeper, it’s clear time is not meant to be altered. We are living proof of that.”

“And the Zoni are living proof that it _can_ be done - and that it works amazingly, mind you. Wouldn't you agree?” he scoffed, placing his hands on his thighs to push himself up to his feet.

He didn’t see the Fongoid as she shook her head slowly with disapproval, her saddened eyes placed on him.

“Alister,” she said, seeing him walk towards his wrench to pick it up from where it was leaning against a ship’s carcass. “I know you are hurting. And I know nothing I can do will make that pain go away. But I have to advise you to not get attached to this idea. It’s not like you can speak to Orvus directly and ask him to alter time, for your own gain, for as noble as it may be. I don’t know what you may be planning-”

“I’m going to find that machine, and I’m going to use it to undo the wrongs done to the Lombaxes. The entire Universe will benefit from it, it’s not something just ‘for my gain’. I’m sure the Zoni would agree and would be more than happy to lend a hand, if it means preventing a tragedy.”

The Fongoid lowered her gaze, knowing there was nothing she could say that would be able to dissuade him from his already set mind. With a heavy sigh, and eyes that would have spoken of her pity if only Alister had looked at her, she spoke again.

“The caves on that mountain,” she pointed, and he turned to follow her claw with his eyes. “There’s runes about this tale that you might find useful. My mother showed them to me once when I was a child, when she tried proving to me that these were more than just fairy tales. But I’m not taking you there,” she picked the basket off the ground and stood up, starting to head back into the forest. “You may try speaking to the chief, but seeing as you won't even go into the village, I'm guessing the runes are your best bet. I told you this, but please try not to go there too soon. You still need to recover, and the beasts lurking in that mountain are particularly bloodthirsty.”

He nodded faintly, his eyes still glued on the mountain peak, from where a long waterfall melted into mist and disappeared behind the thick forest.

When he turned to look, the woman was already gone.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Long time no update! I'm trying to see if I can work with this fic now that I have let it sit for a bit, I was having trouble with chapter 5 and 6 :( couldnt make 'em work, so let's see now. Thank you all for reading, for your kudos, and for your comments! It's only thanks to your support that I even consider pushing forward with this or any of my other projects! 
> 
> Also, still no beta so if there's any major or minor mistakes to be found, im so vewwy sowwy


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